Pet Move of the Month: Jake & Eddie’s Move to Australia!

Laura had never moved a pet before, let alone two pups all the way from one continent to another. Feeling overwhelmed by the process and unsure of where to begin, she turned to PetRelocation for some help.

We were glad to step in and offer our assistance (working with such cute pups made it that much easier!). Here's what Laura had to say about Jake and Eddie's move to Australia.

What were some of your concerns going into this move?

Everyone we spoke with advised us that Australia is one of the strictest countries in terms of the process for relocating pets, so our biggest concern was ensuring we first got educated on the process as a whole, including requirements needed, timing, costs, options for help, etc.

Our second biggest concern was ensuring our US vet was not only government approved, but also willing to go through this involved process with us. Our ultimate goal was to ensure our boys served the minimum 30 day quarantine period and that they'd remain healthy during that time.

Why did you decide to hire PetRelocation.com to help with your move?

We were impressed by the information available on the site, as well as the super-informative blog. We spent quite a bit of time perusing the PetRelocation site, where we immediately felt at ease about the process and level of knowledge available through your services.

Also, plain and simple. . . because of Scotty! First, having a relocation specialist familiar with the country you're relocating to is a huge benefit and was a must for us. More importantly, even when we didn't yet have a contract for services with PetRelocation, Scotty was corresponding with us via email on questions we had a long the way, and that said a lot about your company.

We knew PetRelocation was in this business for all the right reasons. Also, having been in the process of corresponding with and courting multiple pet relocation companies at the same time, Scotty was always the most responsive and informative in his responses.

Did anything surprise you about the international pet moving process?

It was definitely a learning process every step of the way. We were surprised at how much preparation was required, the level of approvals the boys would need, the time-sensitivity of the various steps along the way, and oddly, that the boys got their import permits before our visas were even approved!

How are the dogs adjusting to the new location?

Jake and Eddie are loving their new Aussie lifestyle; their tails didn't stop wagging for the entire ride home when we finally were able to take them home from quarantine! It took them a few days before they completely let their guard down and realized they were in there new "home" with us to stay, but they've adjusted extremely well. They were able to be quarantined together and we were able to go visit them while in quarantine, which helped their mental and physical health tremendously (and ours too!).

What is life like in Australia? Is it a pet-friendly place to be?

Australia is a pet-friendly place in terms of people having pets and loving to socialize with Jake and Eddie, however, it is very pet-unfriendly in terms of securing housing as a renter. Having pets, especially two dogs, has made it extremely difficult for us to find rental properties that will accept us as tenants; most properties are not pet-friendly here, unfortunately, especially in the city center.

What advice do you have for people who might be planning a move?

Research and educate yourself on the process, requirements, etc. of relocating your pet(s) to your specific relocation location (for Australia, the AQIS website was invaluable), do everything you can to ensure your pet(s) serve the minimum quarantine period if applicable, ask lots of questions, ensure your local government approved vet is fully onboard and involved in the process and fully educated on the requirements for your specific relocation location; we couldn't have had such a smooth relocation without ours!

On a side note, getting our boys to Australia safely and in good health was a huge concern for my husband and I as we planned this relocation and we can't thank PetRelocation enough for your big part in ensuring this happened for us. THANK YOU!